Lifestyle

(L) Mary Jean Lastimosa's national costume for 2014 Miss Universe was made by Colombian designer Alfredo Barraza. (R) Rajo Laurel's idea for national costume in the Miss Universe pageant. Which is better?

The issue did not die down after Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. chairperson Stella Marquez-Araneta explained why she commissions Colombian designer Alfredo Barraza to do the Filipina candidates' national costumes in international beauty pageants.

In an interview with ABS-CBN last January 24, she stated, “If I didn't do it for several years, it's because the designs that were given to us were not good enough for our candidates. That's the reason I went abroad.”

She also mentioned, “The first time I tried to have something made abroad for the Filipina was Miriam Qiambao and it won best national dress and it was done by this fellow [Barraza]."

Her statement had the public asking, “Are Filipino-made gowns not really good enough?”

Yesterday, January 26, popular Filipino designer Rajo Laurel posted on Instagram his sketch of our candidate's national costume should he be asked to work on its design.

The caption read (published as is): “What if I were to do our national costume for our candidate for the #MissUniverse? I would be inspired by our nations fiesta's like the Ati-Atihan I would take it from there& modernize it. Perhaps it would look something like this.”